Part of being a successful daredevil is understanding the hazards that come with your trade and being prepared to face whatever perils that come with it. The best daredevils in the world like Evel Knievel were comfortable with that and far more often than not, that fearless attitude propelled them to successfully pull off the most death-defying stunts in history.

Daredevil Doug Danger is in that position now as he prepares for a jump that not even the legendary Knievel could pull off. At the 75th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Danger will attempt to clear a line of 22 cars in a single jump. It’s a stunt that’s as incomprehensible as it is dangerous. In other words, it’s the kind of showcase feat that a daredevil like Danger lives for. Should he be successful, it would be the “hello, world” moment for a stunt rider who has lived in the shadow of Knievel for so long.

Making things more interesting, or at least related to what Knievel tried and failed back in September 1972 is Danger’s decision to ride a 1972 Harley-Davidson XR-750, the very same bike Evel used in what turned out to be a failed attempt at the record.

The bike is over 40 years old so there are legitimate questions on how it’s going to handle the pressure of accomplishing something its first owner couldn’t do. For his part, Danger seems to be taking things in stride as he begins practicing for the big attempt on August 6, 2015 at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip ampitheater.

It’s hard to put into perspective the success of these practice jumps, but our concerns aren’t what’s important for Danger. It’s being able to clear all 22 cars before he lands Knievel’s XR-750 safely onto the ramp.

Make no mistake, though. There are so many things that could go wrong with this jump, no matter how prepared Danger is, as he claims. But it’s also nice to see the stunt rider exude the same level of confidence and enthusiasm into the attempt the way he did when the stunt was first announced in January 2015.

I’m rooting for Doug Danger to successfully accomplish what his long-time hero, Evel Knievel couldn’t. I’m not saying he will, but rest assured, he has our full and unwavering support.

Continue reading to read more about Doug Danger’s death-defying stunt at the 2015 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Why it matters

Nobody needs to remind me the perils that come with Doug Danger’s stunt at the 75th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I know it’s incredibly dangerous and I know that any wrong step, even if it’s the minor variety, can end in catastrophe. That’s the downside of being a daredevil and I’m quite sure that Danger knows that all too well.

But he did sign up for this. He did say that he could do something his hero couldn’t pull off. He’s taking full ownership of this stunt and to his credit, he’s putting in the practice work to be as prepared as he’s going to be when the time comes for his one shot at immortality.

When August 6, 2015 comes, all that practice work will amount to nothing if Danger isn’t successful. But like a true savant of the art of daredevil stunt riding, you’re not going to hear anything but supreme confidence from the man.

Doug Danger says he’s going to pull it off and as people who actually hope he does, this kind of talk is all that separates us from believing in his abilities to actually get the job done.